


kinda wanna cross the line

by tousled



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hardware Store, F/M, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Pining, Plant Nerd Tuffnut, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 03:51:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16485398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tousled/pseuds/tousled
Summary: “Can you stop calling him that?” Astrid says, sharp. She wants to pretend she doesn’t know what they mean, but the fact is Tuff stops to wave at her, grin bright as he’s making his way to the garden centre. “He’s not my anything.”Hiccup doesn’t add anything, but his eyebrows sure manage to saybut don’t you want him to be?And Astrid’s not going to stoop to arguing witheyebrows.





	kinda wanna cross the line

**Author's Note:**

> for the httyd rare pair week 2018 day 6: slice of life / "so, did you miss me?" - hardware store/garden centre au! i based the layout off one of my fav local hardware stores lmao. i love the sad plant section, i love looking after the poor mistreated stuff and getting it grow healthy. in my heart, tuff does too, because he is soft hearted and kind, even to plants. he's the person that picks worms off the footpath and tells people not to crush leaves. 
> 
> titles are Hard. this one is from stop me from falling by kylie minogue (do yourself a favour and listen to golden - this country vibe is FANTASTIC, and dancing is iconic and she looks amazing dressed up as dolly parton. it's heaven.) 
> 
> i hope you like it and feel free to ask me more about the AU!!!!!!!

“Your boy’s here! Haven’t seen him in a while.” Hiccup says, nudging Astrid’s arm as she’s stocking the seed rack, sending half a dozen packets of seeds flying. She huffs, ignoring Hiccup’s conspiratorial grin and bends to pick up the fallen packets. Technically, it’s Hiccup’s break but for some godforsaken reason he’s hovering at Astrid’s side to make bitchy comments about customers, and criticize people’s fashion choices. It’s a hardware store, Astrid doesn’t see why anyone needs to look  _ nice  _ picking up some nails or whatever. 

 

“Astrid’s boy is here!” Fishlegs calls, loud enough that a few people in the small cafe look over, not even pretending to not be interested. Astrid shoots him a glare, and laments to herself she’s worked too long with these people that  _ even  _ Fishlegs no longer finds her intimidating. She should have never agreed to that work Christmas party; she’s never lived down the terrible decision to do karaoke of Christmas songs. Unironic  _ Jingle Bell Rock  _ isn’t conducive to maintaining a hardcore exterior. 

“Can you  _ stop  _ calling him that?” Astrid says, sharp. She wants to pretend she doesn’t know what they mean, but the fact is Tuff stops to wave at her, grin bright as he’s making his way to the garden centre. “He’s not my  _ anything. _ ” 

 

Hiccup doesn’t add anything, but his eyebrows sure manage to say  _ but don’t you want him to be?  _ And Astrid’s not going to stoop to arguing with  _ eyebrows.  _

 

(Besides, she knows she’ll lose the argument - today everyone saw her put that sad little Echeveria elegans that someone had overwatered specifically to the side. Tuff always buys the deadest looking plants he can find; things marked down a million times and looking beyond hope and manages to bring them back to thriving life. He’s a green thumb beyond compare, and well, so what if Astrid’s soft for it? Someone has to look after the sad plants too.) 

 

“Go on your  _ actual  _ break, Haddock.” Astrid says, picking up another handful of sunflower seed packets. She threads them onto the hanger as Hiccups sniffs derisively, gearing himself up for something. If he starts some shit Astrid’s going to say something accidentally to that ginger that dresses like a woodsman who’s always looking at powertools. She’s got plenty tidbits of ridiculous comments like  _ “He looks like a Derek; you know? Rippling muscles, windswept hair, ripped shirt and on the cover of a bad romance novel.”  _ and “ _ I want him to handle me like he’s handling that chainsaw.”  _ Astrid’s 98% certain the guy’s sister knows more about powertools than he does. 

 

“This is more fun,” Hiccup replies with a wave of his hand. “I wouldn’t want to miss  _ any  _ gushing about your boy, you know? After all, what are friends for? A listening ear and all that; talk about him as much as you want.”

“Oh,” Snotlout interrupts, “is Astrid’s boy here? Finally. I thought she was going to waste away pining whilst he was away on holidays.”

“Fuck off, the lot of you.” Astrid snaps, loud enough so Fishlegs can hear too. It gets her a look from an old man sitting down in the cafe area. There’s a loud tut of disapproval; she throws up her hands and walks off. 

 

She steps out into the garden centre section of the store, smiling at a customer as they walk past. They have a basket of pansies that Astrid dodges around, spinning to look over the fuchsias by the doorway. Something out here’s likely needing to be watered, especially if Snotlout’s actually inside instead of stocking roses, so it’s totally not like she’s running away from her friends. It’s work. 

 

Definitely. 

 

Tuff’s in the discount section, like always, and Astrid pretends she’s not looking as she walks past to get the hose. She really looks as she goes back past, but only to check to see if Tuff found the succulent she put aside for him. Not many people go to the sad plant section so usually he finds the stuff she leaves. Sometimes, she catches his smile when he finds something special and it’s worth it. 

 

“Hey girls,” Astrid says as she flicks on the hose to water a group of dwarf fruit trees, “I bet you all are thirsty, sitting in the sun like this.” It’s a guilty pleasure to talk to the plants, but no one has to know so it’s fine. 

“I know I would be,” A voice adds, laughter thick in their tone and Astrid jerks, spraying water all over her own shoes for a moment. Tuff laughs even more, shoulders shaking with it as Astrid elbows him. 

“Sneak up on me again and it’ll be  _ your  _ shoes wet next time.” Astrid’s wearing work gumboots, so it’s fine but Tuff’s beat up sneakers will squeak and squelch if they got wet. 

 

“So,” Tuff says after a moment more of laughter, voice still rich with it. Astrid flicks him half a look and pretends not to be pleased to see the sad echeveria elegans in his hands. “Did you miss me?” 

“Miss you?” Astrid deadpans. “You were gone?” 

 

Tuff laughs again, throwing his head back like Astrid’s truly funny. She isn’t, but she appreciates the sentiment. He really looks the whole hippy-esque thing he’s got going on like this; locs half falling out his ponytail and brown skin absolutely  _ glowing  _ in the sun as the light keeps glinting off his nose piercing. All he needs is a hemp fibre bag and to not actually be wearing any shoes. 

 

“Found the coolest Nepenthes at the Plant Collector’s Faire,” Tuff replies, still grinning. “It’s a new crossbreed, I don’t even know if the hybrid name has been confirmed yet. Plus there was some new imports available, it’s always a good time seeing new imports.”  

“Sounds fun,” Astrid says. She wants to prompt the conversation to never end, even with Hiccup standing just outside the garden centre doors making faces. Tuff is so excited and enthusiastic about plants and it makes Astrid want to learn more. Her own plants are basic, things her grandmother gave her; a six metre Pothos and a monster of a Boston fern, but listening to Tuff ramble on makes her dream big. 

 

He’s not her boy, but maybe she’d like it if he was. 


End file.
